


Uncle Andy Plays Matchmaker

by Leahelisabeth (fortheloveofcamelot)



Series: Uncle Andy [6]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Awkward Dates, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Moving On, Online Dating, Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:29:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27424981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fortheloveofcamelot/pseuds/Leahelisabeth
Summary: “You set me up on a date?” Aaron asked, his voice loud and shrill in surprise.Andrew nodded, but didn’t explain himself.“What made you think that was something I wanted or needed?” Aaron glared at his brother.Andrew met his gaze evenly.  “I know you’ve been thinking about it.”Aaron started to protest, but Andrew wasn’t exactly wrong.  “Well yeah, but not tomorrow.  Isn’t it too soon?”“It’s been five years,” Andrew said.
Relationships: Aaron Minyard & Andrew Minyard, Aaron Minyard/Original Character, Past Aaron Minyard/Katelyn - Relationship
Series: Uncle Andy [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1000410
Comments: 10
Kudos: 94
Collections: Twinyards Appreciation Week 2020





	Uncle Andy Plays Matchmaker

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the final day of Twinyards Appreciation Week: Goodbye

“You set me up on a date?” Aaron asked, his voice loud and shrill in surprise.

Andrew nodded, but didn’t explain himself.

“What made you think that was something I wanted or needed?” Aaron glared at his brother.

Andrew met his gaze evenly. “I know you’ve been thinking about it.”

Aaron started to protest, but Andrew wasn’t exactly wrong. “Well yeah, but not tomorrow. Isn’t it too soon?”

“It’s been five years,” Andrew said.

“I know,” Aaron replied. “But what if I’m not ready?”

Andrew rolled his eyes. “It’s one blind date,” he said. “You’re not asking her to marry you. If you aren’t ready, then you can text me from the bathroom and I’ll come take your place.”

“Really?” Aaron asked.

Andrew nodded.

“You’ll go on a date with a woman?” Aaron pressed.

“I’ll let her down gently so you don’t have to,” Andrew promised.

“You won’t threaten to kill her or anything?” Aaron asked.

“I’m married to Neil; I’ve learned a little something about tact,” Andrew said.

“True,” Aaron said. “What about the girls?”

“They don’t need to know anything about it,” Andrew continued. “You probably won’t bring her home to meet them just yet even if it goes well.”

Aaron looked in the mirror to fix his hair. “Dating is a nightmare. Why would I want to go back to that?”

Andrew snorted. “Dating was a nightmare because I made it a nightmare. I’m on your side this time. Besides, you’ve thrown your life into taking care of your girls. It’s time to do something for yourself.”

“That’s surprisingly mature,” Aaron said teasingly. “I suspect an ulterior motive.”

Andrew’s sudden silence made Aaron turn to face him.

Andrew took a deep breath. “It wouldn’t be right away, and we wouldn’t be going far, but Neil and I have been talking about moving out.”

“Oh,” Aaron said, turning away again and fiddling with the buttons on his shirt. “So this is your way of finding someone to take care of me?”

“No,” Andrew said. “The two things are barely connected. You dating and me moving out, they’re both just part of...moving on.”

Aaron sighed. Andrew was right, of course. Katelyn was gone, and even that thought only filled him with a quiet sorrow instead of the sharp pain of grief.

“Where would you go?” Aaron asked.

“We’d stay close. Neil and I like it here, and we both want to be involved in our nieces’ lives,” Andrew reassured him. “But we’re also thinking about adopting.”

“Oh!” Aaron said, turning to face his brother again now that he’d gotten himself back under control. “That’s big.”

Andrew nodded. “If you’re really not ready, I’ll text Heather and cancel.”

Aaron thought for a moment, pressing gently on the wound that Katelyn had left behind. Again, he felt a dull ache that would probably never go away. “Okay,” he said. “I’ll go on a date.”

* * *

Andrew set the date for Friday afternoon on Aaron’s day off. Aaron was going to meet Heather at the Common Ground coffee shop at 3:00. He was nervous but also a little excited. He hadn’t had solo, child-free social time in forever. He and Andrew attended all the Foxes’ reunions, but those events were always packed with children.

Aaron was a little early so he walked around the block a few times to burn off some of his nervous energy before going inside. The coffee shop was fairly empty so it wouldn’t be too hard to find his date. He wasn’t sure what she looked like but she knew Andrew, so presumably she would find him.

He debated for a little while whether or not to order but the menu was gigantic so he stood off to one side to peruse it.

“You must be Aaron,” a woman’s voice came from beside him, startling him.

He turned to see a brunette, an uncertain smile on her face. She was not overly tall, probably only two inches taller than him, as opposed to Katelyn’s seven inches. She was fairly average in build and was wearing a soft grey sweater dress with a pattern of yellow birds and a chunky knit scarf in teal. Big, round, black-framed glasses perched on her nose.

“Heather?” Aaron asked.

She nodded, her smile widening. “I haven’t been here before,” she said. “What’s good?”

Aaron shrugged. “I guess we’re on even footing then,” he replied. “I’ve never been here either.”

“Pumpkin Spice Latte it is then,” she said, going up to the counter to order.

Aaron settled on a Matcha Latte and ordered after her. Her drink came first so she picked a table by the front window.

Aaron sat down, his hand wrapped around his cup. The silence was suddenly awkward. His last experience with first dates had been nearly fifteen years ago. Back then, it had mostly been flirting over study notes and hiding from Andrew.

“So, Aaron, what do you do?” she asked.

Aaron relaxed a little. This was familiar ground. “I’m an ER doc at St Theresa’s.”

Conversation flowed pretty easily from that point. They talked about work mostly. She was the owner of an art gallery and had a way of telling stories that made him laugh. Aaron was just considering texting Andrew to let him know he was on pickup duty at the girl’s school when the conversation took a turn.

A mother brought her toddler and newborn into the coffee shop and got in line. She looked exhausted, like she hadn’t slept in days, and she had several stains on her shirt. The toddler squirmed to be set down and the woman didn’t try to fight it.

It wasn’t that the child was badly behaved. He stayed right by his mother in line, hopping up and down in place, interspersing a nearly intelligible story with random animal impressions.

Aaron smiled fondly. He remembered those days so clearly. Mandy especially had been exactly like that, bright eyed and excited about the endless worlds spinning in her imagination. It had been embarrassing sometimes, but he couldn’t help missing it now that she’d gotten older and more conscious about her public image.

When he looked back at Heather, he was shocked by the look of disgust on her face.

“Ugh,” she said. “Someone shouldn’t have left the house today.”

“What?” Aaron asked, completely caught off guard.

“The nerve of her,” Heather continued, “coming to a public place and not even having the courtesy to shut her brat up.”

“Do you not like kids?” Aaron asked.

“I don’t hate them,” she said. “They’re just annoying.”

“You’re aware that I have children?” Aaron asked, his voice tight.

“Andrew said something about that, but they’re like ten, right?” Heather rolled her eyes in dismissal. “They’re at school all day and spend the rest of the time in front of the tv. It doesn’t have to be a problem so long as they stay out of my way.”

Aaron saw red but he managed to keep himself under control. He looked at his watch and stood. “I have to go,” he said. “I need to pick up my daughters from school.”

“Fine,” Heather said, smiling brightly up at him. “We should do this again sometime.”

“I don’t think so,” Aaron said.

He was still fuming when he reached the school. He was a little on the late side so the rest of the children had already left and only Mandy and Rebecca were still in the classroom.

“Sorry about that,” Aaron apologized to the girls’ teacher. “I hope I haven’t inconvenienced you too much.”

“Not at all,” Miss Norton said, smiling. “They were telling me about the puppy you’re planning on getting.”

“Oh, were they,” Aaron said, rolling his eyes.

Miss Norton smirked. “It’s a sure thing, apparently.”

Aaron groaned. “Of course.”

“They asked me to proofread their proposal. It’s quite convincing,” she said.

Aaron shook his head. He was not looking forward to reopening that can of worms at supper time.

“Girls, it’s time to go,” he said. They were huddled together in the corner, whispering, and they looked up innocently when he called.

“Mandy left her library book somewhere and we need to find it,” Rebecca said.

Aaron sighed. “Where did you last see it, munchkin?”

“I think it’s in the gym,” Mandy said. “Rebecca and I will go get it. You stay here with Miss Norton and wait!”

The two of them ran out the door, leaving Aaron alone in the classroom with their teacher.

Miss Norton laughed. “Those two are such characters. You must have a lively home.”

“You have no idea,” Aaron said.

“Pardon me if I’m overstepping,” Miss Norton said, “but I’m getting the impression that you are having a difficult day.”

“That obvious, huh?” Aaron asked.

Miss Norton shrugged. “Not really. I’ve just always been good at noticing these things.”

“I went out on a date,” Aaron said, not sure why he was telling her this.

She winced. “First one?”

“Yeah,” Aaron replied.

“Did it not go well?” she asked.

Aaron shrugged. “It started out well. She was nice, interesting, really smart, but then I found out she didn’t like kids and all I could think about was Kateyn. She adored her daughters and saw every moment with them as a gift. How could I bring someone into their lives who wasn’t going to love them? But at the same time, is it really fair to anyone I’m dating if I’m constantly comparing them to my memories of Katelyn?”

“You know, recovery isn’t really a linear process,” Miss Norton said. “I think that often there is this pressure to move on to the next stage instead of allowing yourself time to heal. I don’t think you should be asking the question if it’s fair to compare your dates with the woman you loved. I think you should be asking if it’s fair to you and your girls to bring someone into your lives who won’t be what you need just to hit some imaginary milestone.”

“Oh,” Aaron said.

“It’s fine to go on dates, but it’s also okay to take your time. Your girls have told me some things about their mother. She seems like a really amazing person. If you’re going to date someone else, she should be just as amazing,” Miss Norton said.

They were interrupted then by Mandy and Rebecca charging back into the room, book held high.

“Daddy, let’s go,” Mandy said, tugging at his hands. Rebecca grabbed her jacket and waited silently beside the door, looking at the two of them.

“Thank you, Miss Norton,” Aaron said. “You were a big help.”

* * *

Aaron doesn’t go on another date right away and Andrew doesn’t push. Aaron did a lot of thinking. He wasn’t looking for someone exactly like Katelyn so he spent some time working out the things that drew him to Katelyn in the first place, and then the things that he wanted in any relationship.

He didn’t have to find another cheerleader. She didn’t have to be tall. She didn’t have to be blonde. However, she did have to love his children, know when to be gentle and when to be firm, and she had to be good at reading people. Aaron had improved a lot when it came to communication, but he still felt far more comfortable expressing himself with actions than with words.

When he felt ready to try again, he texted his brother and asked him to set up another date. Thirty minutes later, Andrew sent him a text with a time, 6:00 pm on Saturday, and a place, the new sandwich shop that had just opened downtown: _Between Bread._

Aaron was nervous. This was an escalation from his first date. They were having dinner, even though sandwiches were still casual, and this time, his girls knew he was going on a date.

“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Aaron asked for probably the eighteenth time.

“Of course, Daddy.” Rebecca rolled her eyes. “Uncle Andy is letting us make The Special for dessert.”

Aaron glared at his brother. “I thought we weren’t going to make The Special anymore.”

“I made no promises,” Andrew said.

The Special was an unholy concoction of gummy worms, whipped cream, rainbow ice cream, brownie batter, and Skittles all piled on a giant skillet cookie baked in the cast iron pan. It was horrifyingly sweet, and the last time they had made it, Mandy had tripped and fallen right through their screen door in a sugar frenzy.

“Responsible portion sizes this time,” Aaron pleaded weakly.

“You’re out on a date. Isn’t that the perfect time to do something wildly irresponsible?” Andrew said.

“You say you want me to do this, but this feels an awful lot like you’re punishing me,” Aaron grumbled.

“Just go; I’ve got this,” Andrew said. “Neil will be home soon and he can be the sane one.”

“What kind of world am I living in that Neil Minyard-Josten is the most dependable person in my life?” Aaron lamented.

“Bye Daddy,” Mandy said, hugging him around the waist and simultaneously pushing him towards the door. “Have fun.”

Aaron hugged her back. “You really want me to go?” he asked.

“Yes,” Mandy said, looking up at him with puppy dog eyes. “We just want you to be happy.”

Aaron smiled down at her. “I am happy.”

Rebecca rolled her eyes again. He really wasn’t looking forward to her teenage years.

“Okay, I’m going,” Aaron said, ruffling Mandy’s hair and detouring back to plant a kiss on top of Rebecca’s head.

The date started out well enough. Megan Brinkley was the shortest, roundest redhead he had seen in his entire life. She was actually about half an inch shorter than he was and had a cheerful face with plump cheeks and eyes that squinted nearly shut when she smiled.

“First things first,” Aaron said once they had gotten settled at a table and ordered, “how do you feel about children?”

“Love them,” Megan said with another 100 watt smile. “I have six younger siblings and my parents fostered a lot once we were older so I’ve spent a lot of time around children.”

“Good,” Aaron said, relaxing a little now that he’d gotten that out of the way.

They had quite a pleasant meal. Their conversation never got particularly deep but Aaron could absolutely see himself spending time with this woman again.

He wasn’t sure exactly how they ended up on the subject, but they started talking about their childhood obsessions.

“I was really into King Arthur and the Round Table,” Megan said. “I read every book and watched every movie I could find about the subject. I used to info dump on all my mom’s friends and recite the names of all the knights and their accomplishments. I got some very weird looks.”

“That was me and facts about the solar system,” Aaron said. “I was completely obsessed with the lunar landing.”

“You know that was faked, right?” Megan said, smirking a little.

“Right,” Aaron said sarcastically. “Otherwise we might have seen that the Earth is flat.”

“Oh thank god,” Megan said.

“What?” Aaron asked.

“I never know how to bring it up in conversation, and it’s so weird how some guys view it as a dealbreaker. This makes it so much easier,” Megan smiled.

Aaron was flabbergasted. He had no idea how to respond. “You actually believe the Earth is flat?”

Megan’s smile grew a little dimmer. “You don’t? But you just said…”

“It was a joke,” Aaron said.

“Oh,” Megan deflated. “Are you going to be all weird about this?”

Aaron tried not to be. He tried to be respectful of other people’s opinions, but then he thought about his daughters and how much he wanted whoever he dated to be a good influence on them and he just couldn’t do it. They stuck around for a little longer making small talk, but it was pretty clear the date was already over.

* * *

Aaron was on pickup duty again on Monday. He was there on time, but for some reason, Mandy had taken all of her and Rebecca’s gym clothes and hid each piece outside during recess, then she had promptly forgotten where she had hidden them.

Aaron and Miss Norton followed the girls out to the playground and then stood there awkwardly as Mandy and Rebecca hunted all over for their things.

“Flat Earther,” Aaron said, suddenly remembering what had happened over the weekend.

“What?” Miss Norton asked, looking completely mystified.

“I tried again,” Aaron explained. “I went on another date, but she unironically believes that the Earth is flat.”

“Wow,” Miss Norton said. “I know that there are people out there who believe all kinds of wild things, but I’m still caught off guard when I actually meet one.”

“Right?” Aaron said. “I couldn’t believe it. She was so nice, too.”

“Are you seeing her again?” Miss Norton asked seriously.

“What? No.” Aaron turned to her, shocked, but then he saw the teasing glint in her eye.

“I think I might sign up for _Ok Cupid_ or something though,” he continued. “I’m beginning to believe my brother is messing with me.”

“Just stay away from _Tinder_ ,” Miss Norton said with a shudder. “Believe me.”

“That sounds like a story,” Aaron said.

“Not really. I signed up last year and lasted about a week,” Miss Norton explained. “It’s mostly just for casual hookups. You have to wade through a lot of hookup requests on other websites too but _Tinder_ is the worst. I’m not saying anything bad about people who want that, but I don't. I prefer to date people I can have actual conversations with.”

“Me too,” Aaron said.

Rebecca came up to them, gym clothes in hand, and pressed her face into his side.

“Tired, bug?” he asked, wrapping his arm around her.

She nodded without saying anything or looking at him.

“We’re going home soon,” Aaron said, bringing up his hand to hold the back of her head. “Why don’t you take the keys and go sit in the car while I try to hurry up your sister.”

She nodded again and he handed her the keys.

“Mandy,” he called, walking across the playground to where she was climbing the underside of the slide. “Are you almost finished?”

Mandy reached the top and poked around in the little space where the top of the slide sat on the play structure. She pulled out a piece of fabric with a loud ripping sound.

Aaron shook his head. It looked like another shopping trip was in order. He had no idea how one child could go through so much clothing so quickly.

“This is my last piece,” Mandy said, dropping to the ground and running to hug him.

“You sister is already in the car,” Aaron said. “Let’s get a move on.”

Mandy nodded and ran ahead of him toward the parking lot.

“Thanks, Miss Norton,” Aaron said as he walked by.

“If we’re going to start talking about our love lives, I think you should start calling me Elle,” she said.

“I will do that, Elle,” Aaron said, waving goodbye as he hurried to reach the car before Mandy got impatient and tried to drive herself home.

* * *

It took Aaron very little time to decide that online dating was the absolute worst. When he first signed up, he tried to send detailed messages to each woman he thought looked interesting to demonstrate he had read their profiles. If they replied at all, it was with one-word answers. Several asked him if his height was a typo and then immediately stopped messaging him when he replied that it was correct. If they somehow managed to make it past that point, the conversations were either very boring or hyper-sexual.

He was about to give up when he matched with username _tropicalfsh42_. Her profile said she was tall, about 5’9”, and everything about her screamed sophistication and elegance, from her immaculately styled, shoulder length black hair, to her expertly applied makeup. Her name was Madalena. She was not Aaron’s usual type, but his usual type kept letting him down. She was witty over text and it wasn’t difficult to keep a conversation going. She didn’t have a lot of experience with children but was willing and eager to learn. She definitely believed that the Earth was round. Aaron saw no reason not to try meeting her in person.

They decided to meet at a bar on a Friday evening. Andrew and Neil took the girls out for dinner and a movie so there was no fuss as Aaron got ready for his date.

Aaron almost immediately had regrets. The moment she saw him, Madalena swooped in for the kiss. Aaron managed to react quickly enough to turn it into a cheek kiss but he was off kilter right from the beginning.

“Darling,” Madalena pouted when he put some distance between them. “It was just a kiss.”

Aaron felt his face heating. “I, uh, I haven’t kissed anyone since my wife died. I was kinda hoping to take things slow.”

“Say no more,” she said airily, leading him inside.

He slid into a booth and was surprised when she joined him on the same side instead of sitting opposite, but he didn’t say anything. She managed to behave herself until their drinks arrived, proving herself just as witty and delightful in person as over text, but about halfway through her mojito, she started to get handsy.

First, it was innocent. The booth was quite small and she was pressed close to him so he could hear her over the chatter of the bar. It was only natural that her elbows would graze his side every once in a while or her breasts would press lightly against his arm when she turned toward him.

Soon, she was finding every excuse to touch him, to run her hands up and down his arm, to ruffle his hair, or caress his face. The last straw was when she put her hand on his upper thigh and slowly started to move it upward.

Surreptitiously, he slid his phone out of his pocket and sent Andrew a keysmash. Moments later the phone started ringing.

“I have to take this,” he said, motioning for her to slide out of the booth so he could get out.

“Hurry back,” she pouted. “We were just getting to the good part.”

Aaron practically ran to the bathroom, answering his phone on the way.

“Having fun?” his brother’s dry voice greeted him.

“No,” Aaron said. “It’s awful. She’s all over me.”

“Isn’t that what the hets are into?” Andrew asked, sounding amused.

“Fuck you,” Aaron said. “It’s the worst.”

“We ordered enough pizza for five, but if you don’t get here in the next ten minutes, we’ll eat it all. Does that sound like enough of an emergency for you?”

“Yes,” Aaron said, already feeling calmer. “Thanks.”

Andrew hung up.

Aaron went back out into the restaurant. “I’m sorry, Madalena. That was my brother. He’s watching the girls tonight and he needs my help.”

“Nothing too serious, I hope,” Madalena said, leaning forward to show off her frankly impressive cleavage.

“No, not at all, but it is quite urgent,” Aaron apologized. “I’ll pay off the tab before I leave.”

“Call me,” she said, winking seductively.

Aaron was absolutely not going to call her.

* * *

On Monday evening, while Aaron was getting some much needed alone time in his office, his phone rang. He didn’t recognize the number, but he answered it anyway. “Hello?”

“Aaron, this is Elle. Rebecca gave me your number. She said you needed to speak to me, but weren’t able to come for pickup today.”

“She did?” Aaron asked. “I didn’t ask her to do that.”

“Oh, I apologize for disturbing your evening,” she said. “I won’t take up any more of your time.”

“No,” Aaron said quickly, “it’s fine. I enjoy talking to you.”

“Oh, good,” she replied.

“I see what you mean about online dating,” Aaron said.

“Oh?” she asked.

“I went on a date over the weekend and I thought she was going to eat me alive,” Aaron said.

Elle laughed. “Oh no.”

“I only lasted about twenty minutes before I texted Andrew for an escape phone call. Her hands were all over me.” Aaron shuddered.

“I had a date like that once. He took every opportunity to hold my hands. Every time he got up, he would run his hands over my arms or back,” Elle said.

“Did he sit on the same side of the booth though?” Aaron asked.

Elle giggled. “No, he didn’t, but he tried to pressure me into doing tequila shots with him...on a Wednesday night. I also told him I don’t kiss on the first date and the first thing he did when we said goodbye was go in for the kiss.”

“No,” Aaron said, horrified. “What did you do?”

“Oh, I rejected him in the most awkward way possible by first turning my head really fast and then sprinting across the parking lot in my heels,” Elle said.

“Wow,” Aaron said. “I almost wish I’d run the first time she tried to kiss me. It would have saved me from most of the awkwardness that came after.”

“I mean, it worked in my situation. I had a little panic attack later imagining him running after me, but apparently he interpreted my sprint correctly as a rejection,” Elle said.

“Yikes,” Aaron said, laughing and shaking his head.

Rebecca chose that moment to stick her head through the door. “Daddy, it’s storytime and it’s your turn to read.”

“I’ll be there in a minute, bug,” he said, before returning to his phone call. “I should go. We’re reading through the Hobbit a chapter at a time before they go to bed and Bilbo is just about to burgle Smaug.”

“Oh, I definitely wouldn’t want to keep you from such an important task,” Elle said quickly. “It was lovely talking to you.”

“Yeah, you too. Goodnight,” Aaron said.

“Goodnight, Aaron,” she replied before hanging up.

Aaron smiled at his family, all gathered around in the living room in their pyjamas. Neil and Andrew were snuggled up in the arm chair while Mandy and Rebecca had sprawled out on the floor with a pile of pillows and stuffed animals

Aaron took his seat on the couch and reached for the book. “Now, where were we?”

* * *

Aaron didn’t go on any more dates for a few weeks. He didn’t even look at the apps on his phone. He decided he would much rather stay single than inflict someone like Madalena on himself or his family. He had several more conversations with Elle Norton. They spoke briefly when he picked the girls up from school and sometimes they texted back and forth during the evenings.

Aaron wondered if he would be able to find things to say if he wasn’t going on terrible dates, but it didn’t end up being a problem. She had a quick tongue and a sharp mind and Aaron enjoyed every conversation they had.

About a month after the date, he came downstairs and caught the tail end of a conversation at the breakfast table.

“We can’t push him,” Andrew was saying. “You know how stubborn he can be. He needs to think it’s his idea.”

“But it’s taking so long,” Mandy whined.

“What’s taking so long?” Aaron asked, stepping into the kitchen and making a beeline for the table to serve himself some bacon and eggs.

Andrew, Rebecca, and Mandy all looked at each other a little guiltily.

“Have you won Andrew over to your side in your quest to get a puppy,” Aaron asked.

“Yes,” Mandy said. “That’s it. Can we get one now?”

“No,” Aaron said. “It’s a big responsibility and we want to make sure you’re ready before we take that step. Maybe we’ll get you a plant or something and see how you do with that.”

“No,” Mandy said, eyes wide and horrified. “What if I accidentally kill it?”

“And that’s why I don’t want you to get a puppy,” Aaron said. “Maybe when you’re a little older.”

Rebecca pouted. “I could keep a plant alive,” she said.

“I’m sure you could,” Aaron said, “but this puppy would belong to both of you, so both of you need to be ready.”

“Fine,” Rebecca said.

The conversation stuck in Aaron’s head for the rest of the day. He knew that his girls had all the support and love they needed and he had to recognize his brother’s contributions to raising them. They weren’t really lacking anything. However, sometimes Aaron really missed having Katelyn at his side when decisions had to be made. Andrew was definitely responsible and he loved his nieces with his whole heart, but their parenting styles were completely different, and sometimes, Aaron felt like no one was on his side. Andrew had Neil and Aaron was so happy about that, but he wanted more for himself.

Aaron decided he would give online dating one more chance. He was really careful with his choice, making sure to talk to each possible candidate for quite a while before agreeing to meet. Finally, he decided to meet a girl named Janelle. She was a librarian and liked Lord of the Rings nearly as much as he did. She definitely believed the Earth was round, and she had quite a lot of experience with children from storytime at the library. He was very clear about his physical boundaries on a first date—no kissing, no other contact unless explicit consent was given—and she promised to respect those boundaries.

Aaron set the date for Friday at 3:00 pm at the same sandwich shop where he had his first date.

He was the first one there and she approached him.

“I’m Janelle,” she said. “You must be Aaron?”

He nodded. She was coming straight from work so she was dressed in a short dress and a green cardigan over black leggings and she had two pens in her hair where it was twisted up in a simple bun.

“Hope you don’t mind if I order a sandwich,” she said. “We were busy today and I didn’t get a chance to eat lunch.”

Aaron nodded and ordered himself a black coffee.

The date went pretty well for the most part. She was a perfectly pleasant person to be around, but there wasn’t really anything more to say about her. He had no major objections but he also felt no desire to continue the date as the time drew closer for him to pick up his girls.

At about ten minutes to four, she pulled a notebook out of her purse and looked expectantly at him. “I know you have to go soon but I wanted to ask you a few questions before you leave.”

“Okay,” Aaron said, confused about where this was going.

“First, how physically attractive do you find me?” she asked.

“What,” Aaron said.

“Just answer the question,” she said.

“A seven, I guess?” he replied.

She marked it down in her notebook before asking another. “On a scale of one to ten, how successful was this date?”

Aaron just looked at her, completely floored at the turn this date had taken. “Uh, five.”

Her brow furrowed. “How likely are you to request a second date?”

The answer was not likely at all. He was already thinking about picking up Mandy and Rebecca from school and telling Elle all about this date.

“You’re smiling. Is that good?” Janelle asked.

Then it hit him. He was being ridiculous. Why would he put himself through the ordeal of online dating when he already had someone in his life who was clever and funny and kind who he very much would like to be more than just his friend?

“I have to go,” Aaron said, standing up and tossing down a couple bills to cover the check.

“I thought you had a few more minutes. I’m not done with my survey,” Janelle protested.

“I’ll be honest. I think this was our only date. I wish you all the best in the future,” Aaron said before rushing out the door.

Elle looked confused to see him. “Andrew was just here. He already picked up your daughters,” she said.

“Good,” Aaron said. “I want to talk to you.”

“Oh,” she smiled at him, pleased. “Can you give me a few moments to finish up in my classroom?”

Aaron nodded and stood in the corner to wait as Elle straightened a few things, said goodbye to her last few students, and grabbed her coat and scarf to leave.

“What did you want to speak to me about?” she asked. “Your girls are still doing well. There have been no issues.”

“Okay, so here goes. You can definitely say no. I don’t want to pressure you into anything and I value our friendship a lot, but I realized today that I actually kinda want to date you,” Aaron said in a rush.

“I see,” Elle said.

“Sorry, this is weird and probably inappropriate. You can forget we ever had this conversation,” Aaron said, afraid to look at her.

“How about dinner on Sunday evening?” Elle asked, grabbing his hand.

“Yeah,” Aaron breathed. “That sounds good. I’ll text you with the details.”

“I look forward to it,” Elle said. She leaned forward, giving him plenty of time to pull away, and planted a little, soft kiss on his cheek.

* * *

Aaron knew he was grinning when he walked in the door at home. Mandy was coming down the stairs when he came in. She took one look at his face and screeched, practically tumbling down the rest of the stairs to hug him tightly. Then she ran into the living room, shouting.

“Daddy did it! He asked Miss Norton on a date!”

Aaron was confused. He walked through the door to see Andrew smirking as both his daughters flew at him for hugs.

“How did you…?” Aaron asked. “What if I just had a good date with Janelle?”

“Did you?” Rebecca challenged him.

“Well...no,” Aaron said.

“And you _did_ ask Miss Norton out, right?” Mandy asked.

“I did,” Aaron said, still as confused as ever.

“We knew you’d like her but Uncle Andy said you wouldn’t date her unless you thought it was your idea,” Rebecca said.

Aaron glared at his brother; Andrew looked unbearably smug.

“What if I cancel now that I know what you did?” he challenged.

“You won’t,” Andrew said. “You like her.”

Aaron scowled because his brother was right. He hoped Elle knew what she was getting into.


End file.
